Chapter 6: An Interesting Man.
Chapter 6: An Interesting Man.
The cold evening wind swept across the vast military encampment stationed along the northern edge of the kingdom, causing countless banners bearing the image of a silver dragon to flutter proudly beneath the fading sunlight.
Meanwhile, hundreds of soldiers continued moving about in a disciplined manner, as they sharpened their weapons and tended to their horses.
Some members of the logistics unit were busy preparing the evening meal before another exhausting day of drills and patrols.
At the very center of the camp stood the largest command tent.
Inside, a beautiful woman dressed in polished silver armor stood silently before a massive wooden table upon which a detailed battlefield model had been carefully constructed.
Countless carved figures representing infantry, cavalry, supply routes and defensive positions scattered neatly across the map while small colored flags marked every important location surrounding the nearby border.
Her long silver hair flowed neatly behind her back, reaching almost to her waist despite being partially tied to keep it from interfering with her armor, while a pair of piercing blue eyes calmly studied every inch of the battlefield before her, her expression remaining completely unreadable as she considered countless possibilities inside her mind.
She neither moved nor spoke.
Instead, she simply continued adjusting one of the wooden pieces before taking a single step backward to observe the entire battlefield once again.
’ Mmmm...’ Silence filled the command tent, but just then...
"Lieutenant General, Ma’am." A voice called from outside.
Roseline’s attention slowly shifted toward the entrance.
"What is it?" She asked.
"A letter has just arrived for you." A soldier answered from beyond the canvas.
Roseline remained quiet for a brief moment before replying.
"...Come in."
The tent flap was gently pushed aside as a young soldier stepped inside before immediately bowing respectfully, carefully holding a sealed envelope with both hands as he approached the large table.
"A messenger bird delivered this only moments ago."
"...Thank you." Roseline accepted the envelope.
The soldier bowed once more.
"If there is nothing else, Ma’am?" He said.
"There isn’t." Roselia cut him off. "You may leave."
"Yes, Ma’am." Without another word, the soldier quietly departed, leaving Roseline alone once more as silence gradually returned to the spacious command tent.
Her gaze slowly lowered toward the envelope resting within her hand.
A silver wax seal decorated its center.
Embedded within the wax was the image of a dragon with its wings fully spread.
The Silver Dragon. The unmistakable crest of House Roosevelt.
Which meant that whoever had written the letter, Was someone from her own household.
"...I wonder who it could be." Roseline quietly broke the seal before unfolding the neatly written letter inside.
Her eyes slowly traveled across the first few lines.
To Lady Roseline Roosevelt,
I pray this letter finds you in good health and high spirits.
As you requested, I have completed the task entrusted to me and safely arrived at House Bismarck before returning home. I only wish I could have remained by your side rather than making such a long journey...
Roseline immediately let out a quiet sigh.
"...You’re the one who insisted I do this."
" Don’t go putting words in my mouth, you cheeky girl." The corner of her lips lifted ever so slightly.
She could practically picture Guinevere wearing that innocent smile while writing every word.
The thought alone made her shake her head.
Roseline Roosevelt was not exactly a woman admired by noble men.
If anything...Most feared her.
Years spent commanding soldiers on the battlefield had earned her countless victories, but they had also earned her a reputation that made many nobles avoid her entirely, believing her to be nothing more than a battle-crazed woman who valued swords above conversation.
As for the few men who still dared approach her...
Their intentions had never remained hidden for very long.
Every proposal she received eventually led back to the same things.
It could either be, Her family’s wealth, Their influence or Their military power.
Not once had she met a man she believed genuinely wished to stand beside her.
One after another...She rejected them all.
Truthfully, she had little interest in marriage to begin with.
It was only after years of listening to Guinevere’s constant worrying, gentle nagging and endless reminders that she would not remain young forever, that Roseline had finally agreed to consider the son of House Bismarck whom her aide had repeatedly brought up due to the presence of the old agreement which she saw as an opportunity.
Whether that man would prove worthy of becoming her husband...She had yet to decide.
After all, they hadn’t even met.
******
Roseline quietly continued reading.
Guinevere carefully described everything that had taken place during her visit to House Bismarck, from Lord Gustav’s reaction to the discussion surrounding the old agreement, sparing no detail as she faithfully recounted every important moment that had unfolded inside the dining hall.
A small smile gradually appeared across Roseline’s face.
"...Just as emotional as Father described." She said, before she continued reading.
But then, Her eyebrows slowly rose at some point.
"...Hm?" Her eyes paused upon a particular sentence.
Young Master Osborne agreed to accompany me under one condition...
Roseline sighed.
"...So that’s where we are." She folded one arm beneath the other.
"I suppose seeing Guinevere arrive personally made him think he had room to negotiate."
She slowly closed her eyes.
"...Perhaps it’s for the best."
If the young noble had truly begun making unreasonable demands because he believed House Roosevelt desperately needed this marriage...
Then refusing him now would save everyone unnecessary trouble later.
She had already begun considering how to politely decline.
Still...Curiosity lingered within her.
"...Let’s see." In the end, her eyes returned to the letter.
*******
Several moments later...
"...What?"
Roseline blinked in suprise.
She immediately reread the same paragraph.
Then...
She read it a third time.
"...He..."
For the first time in quite a while...Genuine surprise continued to remain upon her face.
Another long silence soon followed.
But after a short while, A quiet laugh escaped her lips.
"...Hah." A smile slowly spread across her face.
"...Just what is he thinking?" She wondered to herself, not expecting to read of such a thing.
Most men...
No.
Nearly every noble in the kingdom would gladly throw away their own family name if it meant marrying into House Roosevelt, because the influence, wealth and prestige that accompanied her house were enough to elevate an ordinary noble family several generations in a single marriage.
Yet this man...
Instead of demanding greater status or asking for wealth...
Had requested something entirely different.
He didn’t wish to marry into House Roosevelt.
Nor did he expect her to marry into House Bismarck.
Instead...
He wanted any children born from their marriage to inherit House Roosevelt’s name, while making it abundantly clear that he desired neither her family’s influence nor its wealth.
It was...in a way.
A condition unlike anything Roseline had ever imagined.
For a brief moment, she found herself wondering whether Guinevere had somehow made a mistake while writing the letter.
But no.
She knew her aide far too well. Guinevere never made mistakes like this. And she certainly wouldn’t resort to trickery just to get her a spouse.
"...Interesting." Roseline muttered then slowly lowered the letter.
Most men sought power, Others sought wealth, Some desired influence.
Many wanted all three.
Yet...
Here was a man who seemed intent on distancing himself from everything House Roosevelt possessed.
Was such a person truly real?
Or...
Was this merely another elaborate scheme she had yet to understand?
"...I can’t help finding this amusing." Her smile widened ever so slightly.
"Very well, Osborne Von Bismarck."
She gently folded the letter before placing it upon the table.
"...Perhaps I’ll entertain you a little longer." Her blue eyes sparkled with newfound curiosity.
"I’d very much like to see..."
"...Just what it is you’re actually after."
A faint smirk slowly formed upon her lips.
She went behind her desk, got a piece of clean parchment and a quill and ink to write a reply.
Once she was done, she sealed the letter in her family’s crest before calling for a soldier who took the letter then left her tent.
Once alone again, she returned her attention to the battlefield before her, though for the first time that day, the tiny wooden soldiers scattered across the map no longer occupied all of her thoughts.